Improvement in apparatus for preventing and extinguishing fires in oil-tanks



3 Sheets-Sheet I J. H. CONNELLY.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGU'ISHING FIRE IN OIL-TANKS.

No.181,911. Patented Sept. 5,1876.

M65888. Fly-z fnz/e 75307";

PETERS, PNOTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C.

' 3 Sheets- Sheet 2. J. H. CONNELLY.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRE IN A OIL-TANKS. 0.18111.

Patented Sept. 5,1876.

0022 7268863. jnz/ enzar:

W1 N- PETERS, PMDTO-LITHOGRAPHKR, WASHINGTON, D C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. 3.11. CONNELLY. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ANDEXTINGUISHING FIRE IN OIL-TANKS. 110,181,911. Patented Sept. 5, 1876.

Fly. 6. Fly. 7.

N. PETERS, HOTO-LKTHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D c.

PAEN'I -FFICE.

JOSEPH H. CONNELLY, OF NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES L.HASTINGS AND WILLIAM H. HASTINGS, OF NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRES INOIL-TANKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,91 1, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed August 28, 1876. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. OONNELLY, of New Brighton, in the countyof Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Preventing and Extinguishing Fires in Oil-Tanks, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to secure, by the most economical device,the delivery of carbonic-acid gas onto the oil, naphtha, orothercombustiblefluids, for the accomplishing of two definite purposes:First, the prevention offire. Gas, being heavier than the air, willremain stratified on the surface of the oil, and prevent its ignition,also serves the useful purpose of preventing the evaporation of the oilor naphtha. Secondly, when the oil, naphtha, or other combustible fluidis on fire, by delivering a sufficient quantity of gas onthe surface ofthe oil, or through the oil iromlnapeath to the surface, the fire isinst aritly extingufshed.

This present invention of mine relates to certain improvements inapparatus heretofore invented by me, and for which Letters Patent havebeen issued.

Figure 1 represents a plan of oil-tank, showing application ofgas-distributing device.

' A is the oil-tank b, the pipe for conveying gas from the gas-storagetanks R to the distributing device inside the oil-tank. b are pipes,which are perforated, and which, in connection with the cones c, whichare also perforated on the upper surface, distribute the gas evenly inall directions beneath the surface; of the oil, which, rising to thesurface, extinguishes the fire.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the perforated cone 0. Fig. 3represents top view, and Fig. 4 sectional view, of distributing devlce.

A, Fig. 4, represents the oil-tank B, a pipe for conveying the gas tothe distributing device. c is a pipe having a flange on the bot tom toprevent it from coming out of the stand F. D is a distributing-pipe,having holes on opposite sides at their opposite end, for the purpose ofletting out the gas into the oil. a a are bevel-wheels; c shaft; and b,

handle for turning the pipe D. e e are trussrods, for supporting theends of the pipe D. d is a gland for screwing down packing around theflanged pipe 0 The gas enters from the gas-storage tanks through thepipe B, passes up through pipe 0 into distributing-pipe D, and outthrough the holes into the oil.

The shaft 0 may be carried to any convenient distance away from thetank, and the handle b placed on the end. The handle, being turned,imparts a rotary motion, by means of the bevel-gears a, to thedistributingpipe D, and the gas issuing from the perforations while thepipe D is turning arounddistributes the gas regularly and evenly, which,rising to the surface, extinguishes the fire. The force of the gasescaping through the perforations in the distributingpipe D fromopposite sides of each end of the pipe will cause the pipe to revolvewithout the use of crank, although the crank may be put in place to workthe pipe in case the pressure of the gas should be too light to causethe rapid revolution of the pipe.

Fig. 5 represents an oil-tank with another form of gas-distributingdevice. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view, and Fig. 7 an enlarged endview, of the cone-shaped distributing de- V108.

This apparatus is designed to utilize the draw-off pipe, to be generallyfound in oiltanks, and forms a very economical and easilyadjustedapparatus for the same purposes as previously described.

B, Fig. 5, is a pipe fordrawing off the oil. This pipe is connected justinside the tank by means of a swivel-joint with the adjustable pipe P. cis a cone-shaped device, connected to a sleeve, D, by means of thepivots a. This sleeve is slipped over the end of the pipe P and held bymeans of a band and bolt. The weights W tend to keep the bottom of thedistributing-cone 0 always level, no matter what is the position of thepipe P. Thus, when the oil in the tank, and also the I pipe 1?, islowered, as shown in Fig. 5 in dotted lines 1?, the cone assumes theposition shown,

and the saniefor any variation of the pipe. B represents a series ofstorage-tanks for carbonie-acid gas, connecting with pipe P, as

shown by the arrow.

The reservoirs for the storage of carbonicaeid gas may be eitherportable or stationary, as most convenient for the purpose desired.

I claim as my invention- The combination of gas-reservoir R, the pipe B,central pipe 0 with crank 0 gearing a, aud'perforated distributing-pipeD, Figs. 2 and 3, all substantially as described for the purpose ofdelivering gas into a tank of oil, naphtha, or other combustible fluid,for the purpose of preventing the ignition of the oil or naphtha, or forthe purpose of extinguishing fire.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH H. OONNELLY.

